I just got back from a sudden trip to the vet for a fecal exam.

As you might know, around October 13th, I gave all 4 cats a new food, and a few days later, 3 of them started having digestive issues.  Yoyo, who is the most easy-going, probably ate the most of this food.  Oddly, 2 of them became rather constipated, but Yoyo started having diarrhea.

A number of days after I took them off this food, by October 20th, the 2 that were constipated became normal.  Yoyo's bowel movements started getting some form to them, and I thought all was going good.

Yoyo had a really good, normal bowel movement about a week ago.

But then things started getting soft again.  Tonight I came home from work, and Yoyo who always loves to poop as soon as he has an audience    went to do his business but oddly, he didn't cover.  I went to check and found that he had very muddy diarrhea (no form at all), and that there was a little bit of blood in it.

Needless to say, I took him to the vet right away (actually, I came here to check some info and then I went to the vet - thank goodness for Itchmo!).



I'd like your opinion on what you think would be good to do.

Yoyo's fecal slide came back with "spots of abnormal bacteria" and there were some white and red blood cells in the sample.  For now the vet is assuming it is due to the new food that didn't agree.

Yoyo's weight has not changed, his temperature is normal, his tummy felt normal, his appetite, sleeping, playing, drinking, urinating, everything is completely normal.

Because Yoyo's diarrhea has been on and off now for 3 weeks, he recommended :

1)  5 days, 2x a day of Metro Nidazol antibiotics  +  5 days, 2x a day of probiotics

He said he usually advises 3 days, but he thought 5 days would be better for Yoyo's case.  He said he'd start tonight, because the longer I wait might mean that his digestive issues would worsen, and then it would take even longer than 5 days of meds.

(Side affects of Metro Nidazol : vomiting, incontinence     )

I told him I wasn't keen on giving antibiotics unless it was completely and utterly necessary.  We talked for some time and he said that if I didn't feel comfortable giving him the antibiotics, that I could do one of these:

A)  24-hour fasting
B)  24-hour fasting + probiotics
C)  Regular eating + probiotics


I told the vet I'd research and then decide tomorrow, or even see how Yoyo is tomorrow before deciding what to do...

** As I was writing this, Yoyo suddenly started hissing and growling at the other 3 cats - I've never seen him do that before - I'm going to hope that it has something to do with his being at the vet by himself    -- oh, he's licking himself and I'm wondering if it's from having the sample taken??  After we got home, we all played and had dinner, he had some diarrhea again but all else was normal for an hour...now he is sitting in his favorite spot growling very quietly but calming down **


Any thoughts on this?  I dread giving medicine.  It's also a little hard to do a fast since there are 3 others (he could stay at my Mom's place, but he's never been there without his sister and I'm afraid that might scare him).


Should I just do as the vet recommends and give him 5 days of the antibiotics + probiotics?  Urgh, I hate this.



ETA : It just occurred to me that last night I trimmed off some mats away from Yoyo's bum (probably due to diarrhea) and gave everybody some Weruva fish wet as a treat.  Could fish have disrupted Yoyo's digestion?

ETA 2 : Reading on forums about Metronidazol...mine are in small capsules and the vet suggested hiding them in the food or popping them into the back of his throat.  The probiotics are also in capsules, and can be hidden in the food or opened and mixed with food (he says cats generally like the flavor of it).

5CM,

I'm so glad your kitty is doing better.  How scary that must have been.

As I type, Yoyo is purring loudly, kneading on my cozy robe that I put out for him to sleep on.   

Yoyo has not thrown up at all, and he's acting completely as usual.....just has diarrhea (and I found a trace of blood in it this evening).

The vet I use is a 10-minute taxi ride and is open on the weekends, and also has an emergency 24-hr open facility.

>With the Metronidazole, you should see improvement very quickly.  My Tony improved within 24 hrs.

So are you saying you think it would be good to give Yoyo the Metronidazole and also the priobiotic 2x a day for 5 days?

He was having soft stools, and then diarrhea, then things got firmer, then he had a fantastic poop, then he got soft again and then today was just goop.  I wish I hadn't given him fish last night in case that might have upset his tummy in any way. 

I feel like if I just let him work it out that things will get better,...but the vet is thinking his bacteria-fighters are losing the battle and could use the team of meds.  Hmm, I guess I could call tomorrow to ask if they checked if the bacteria is spiral or not...?  But would that change the answer to giving him the antibiotic or not?

August,

My 19-year-old, CRF cat, Elvis, just finished a 7-day course of metronidazole (Flagyl).  He was put on it due to loose stools twice a day for several weeks.  Within 3 days, his stools were firming up.  His dose was once a day.  He only weighs 5 pounds.  Dose varies with weight of cat.  Have also treated many of my other cats and dogs in the past with Flagyl (metronidazole) without problems.  You must follow the dosage and schedule your vet gives you.  It's better to give it with food rather than an empty stomach.  Great that you have capsules.  Don't break them up or let cats chew on the capsules as it is a horrid tasting medicine, but give capsules whole.   I usually give a little food before and the rest immediately after pills/capsules.

I have also noticed when my cats have a little blood in their stool they don't bury it either. 

Dollywad had a really bad round of this. Even with probiotics, prebiotics & Flagyl nothing worked. The salve on her raw red bottom gave her some relief from the pain.

Vet recommended a Bland Diet to see it if helped.

Well, the commercial food reformulation got her in the "mess".

Homemade chicken & rice got her out of the "mess".

The commercial formula changed and she can no longer tolerate the brand & their fish meal & other changes to it.  Recently it started again with a new lot of Friskies T&G ..and I have to assume it was a fish change(supplier) in it too. Again, the homemade chicken got her back on track in 48 hrs.

I also got some K-P & Peticillan (kaolin & pectin) which is formulated for cats from PetSmart. Haven't used it, didn't need to after stopping the food. In Sept, it took several days to get that Precise brand out of her system.

BTW: Dollywad screamed & hissed at all of us. Loudly - especially right after using the litterbox.  Even if I just looked at her.  Take a look at YoYo's bottom and see if it's raw & red.  Dolly's was. She was in Pain, major pain - her tummy & her bottom

I just called the vet emergency center.

She said there are both straight and spiral bacteria in Yoyo's fecal test.


Yoyo is now in the closet angry and sleeping.  I would really like for him to eat this probiotic that is now mixed in with his wet.....the vet said the wet is okay with the probiotic for a while, so if he'll just come out to eat it...but he's pretty angry with me, I think... 

I was able to give Yoyo the Metronidazole manually (I first slipped it in the wet he was eating because it's in a capsule so I was hoping he'd lap it down but he didn't).  It's the probiotic that he won't eat (and that is now mixed in with a tbsp of wet food).

The vet suggested that if he doesn't come out to eat this wet food mix, that tomorrow morning I should give Yoyo the Metronidazole and the probiotic manually.  (Our meds course is one Metronidazole + one probiotic morning and night for 5 days.)

I can't imagine how I'm going to do this two times a day for the next 4 days.  (Urgh, Alek0, 3 cats for 10 days must have been awful.)

It's 1am and Yoyo doesn't seem inspired to come out of the closet.  I hope he'll come out and I'll try the chicken flakes on it.  But if he doesn't come out, I don't want the other cats to eat the medicated wet......I guess I'll wait a bit longer and then trash it -- or will it keep in the fridge?


>I have also noticed when my cats have a little blood in their stool they don't bury it either.  

That's really interesting, JustMe.

Thanks so much Alek0.

Oddly, my guys like cool wet more than warmed.  But I usually take out wet from the fridge and let it sit for 20 min or so before feeding them leftovers.

>It will keep in the fridge

In that case maybe I'll put it in the fridge and serve it to Yoyo in the morning.



Does anyone have any suggestions for giving pills after meals but having it so that they don't associate eating with something icky?  I was thinking from tomorrow morning I won't do meds at meal time, but rather after.  I was thinking I'd take him into the bathroom to give him his 2 pills since they spend the least amount of time in the bathroom, and when they've been there in the past, it's usually to trim off a mat or wash off someone's pantaloons.  Does that sound like a good plan?


It's 2am and Yoyo came out to say hi.      So we had a little freeze-dried chicken party - of course as soon as the flakes were out for Yoyo and his medicated wet, everybody else wanted in on the action.  So I gave a tiny to Mooch, a tiny to Lulu, a tiny to Chami, a tiny to Yoyo and made the round, then did them all again but put Yoyo's on the wet food.  He only ate about 1/3 of the probiotic wet, but that's better than nothing!  I'm off to bed now.   

August writes, "Does anyone have any suggestions for giving pills after meals but having it so that they don't associate eating with something icky?"

When mine are sick, the policy is "tough love", as I don't like to give meds without food.  Metronidazole on an empty stomach may cause vomiting.

After they're well, we kiss and purr and all is quickly forgiven .

Hugs,

5CM